CAA notified: Bengal Governor Ananda Bose urges Mamata Banerjee to study details before commenting

Responding to the Chief Minister’s question on the legal sanctity of the CAA, the Governor said the law has an important legal aspect, which is intended to “unify India” rather than “divide the country”.

Calcutta: In an interesting political tone, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has advised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that she should be fully aware of every detail of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) before commenting on the issue . The Governor’s comments came a day after the Union Home Ministry decided to implement the CAA, paving the way for granting citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Soon after the ministry’s announcement, CM Banerjee termed the Centre’s move a ‘political gimmick’ in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. Responding to the Chief Minister’s question on the legal sanctity of the CAA, the Governor said the law has an important legal aspect, which is intended to ‘unify India’ rather than ‘divide the country’.

“I would like to request my constitutional colleague, the Prime Minister, to first study and understand the details of the law and only then comment on it,” the governor said. He said the CAA was passed in Parliament in December 2019 and a notification was issued on Monday to implement it as per legal provisions.

“This reflects both legal reality and good governance,” the governor said.

CM Banerjee addresses audience after CAA notification

At a public meeting in North 24 Parganas district earlier on Tuesday, CM Banerjee issued a warning against registration on the CAA portal, saying the applicants might end up losing everything.

“As soon as you log into the portal, you turn into an illegal immigrant from a real citizen. And once you become an illegal immigrant, what happens to your property and occupation? You are sent to detention camps. So think twice before applying,” the Prime Minister warned.

However, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the Chief Minister is unnecessarily trying to create an issue to mislead the people of the minority community in the state.

“But it will not be successful because the Muslim Brothers have realized that the CAA is meant to grant citizenship and not take it away,” Adhikari said.

(With input from agencies)